Baladi ( ; relative-adjective 'of town', 'local', 'rural', comparable to English folk, with a lower-class connotation) can refer to an Egyptian musical style, the folk style of Egyptian bellydance (Raqs Baladi), or the Masmoudi Sogheir rhythm, which is frequently used in baladi music. It is also sometimes spelled in English as 'beledi' or 'baladee'. In Egypt, the term baladi does not only apply to local music and dance, and can also apply to many other things that are considered native, rural, rustic or traditional, for example 'baladi bread' or 'Aish Baladi". It is also applied to kinds of food and mostly to fruits and vegetables coming from rural villages. Baladi music and dance Baladi means 'of the country' and is a style of Egyptian folk dance from the early 20th century which is still very popular. Thus, Egyptian Beledi means 'of the country of Egypt'. It came about when farmers moved to the city and began dancing in small spaces. Egyptians have Baladi people, Baladi bread, Baladi rhythms, Baladi music and Baladi dance. Baladi can take the form of traditional songs, often with a verse-chorus structure – some popular examples include "That il Shibbak" and "Hassan ya Koulli". There is also an improvised musical form in the baladi style. Baladi improvisation This is a structured form of musical improvisation, most usually between a tabla player and an accordionist or saxophonist (although occasionally the ney may be the primary instrument). It is sometimes referred to as a baladi taqsim, ashra baladi, or a baladi progression. A baladi taqsim consists of a number of distinct sections. Each section has a traditional structure, and the ordering of the sections follows a loose pattern, although this is not always followed. The musicians will not generally include all of the possible sections, but will choose some of them to build a structure for the piece. Most baladi improvisations will begin with an instrumental solo (taqsim) by the primary instrument. Following this, there is usually a call and response between the instrument and the drummer, flowing into a slow rhythmic section. Further call and response sections and quicker rhythmic sections may follow. The middle part of the piece may include melodies from popular songs, or a section in the Saidi style. The final section is normally the 'tet', which has a quick tempo, and staccato accents on the off-beat. Raqs baladi Raqs baladi is the folk/social